The Brick and Phantom power?

[InOverMyHead]

Is it safe to use "The Brick" or any other outboard preamp plugged into the XLR input of a mixer thats phantom power is on? Thanks in advance for the answer

 

[notCardio]

I can't say for certain, but

it doesn't seem like a good idea.

Why would you do that, though?

Almost any mixer will have a couple of channels that take line level input signals, and some trs input(s).

You would just need the appropriate adapter.

 

[InOverMyHead]

Yes I know I can use the line input and be OK thanks for the reply!

 

[Farview]

Yes I know I can use the line input and be OK thanks for the reply!

You are supposed to use the line input. The brick is a mic preamp, you shouldn't run the output of one preamp into the input of another (the xlr input on your board)

 

[InOverMyHead]

Thanks for the Answer !

 

[Richard Monroe]

The phantom power is irrelevent. What is relevent is that you should never plug a line out into a mic level in (XLR, TRS, or anything else). I did that once, without knowing it. What I didn't know is that I had a line level mic (yes, there is a such a thing). It blew up half of an Avalon AD2022 *and* blew the cones out of a pair od Sennheiser headphones (yes, while I was wearing them). Don't even think about it.-Richie

 

[notCardio]

Really?

The phantom power is irrelevent. What is relevent is that you should never plug a line out into a mic level in (XLR, TRS, or anything else). I did that once, without knowing it. What I didn't know is that I had a line level mic (yes, there is a such a thing). It blew up half of an Avalon AD2022 *and* blew the cones out of a pair od Sennheiser headphones (yes, while I was wearing them). Don't even think about it.-Richie

Because the Brick has an XLR output only, not TRS, and the instructions say that you can use the Brick as a pseudo-passive DI by setting the Brick's gain at 0, using the gain stage from your mixer, or you can use the gain on the Brick for tube warmth, and set your mixer gain to 0 (which I have done).

If you should never go out to the mic input on a mixer, why wouldn't they have just put a TRS out on the Brick?

 

[Farview]

why wouldn't they have just put a TRS out on the Brick?

Why would they? You shouldn't confuse the type of connector with the signal it is carrying.

 

[Richard Monroe]

Plenty of pieces of gear use XLR connectors for line level connections, because they are more secure. My Avalon, for instance, has XLR outs only, balanced, and unbalanced. I assure you, if you plug thise outs into a mic level input, you are in big trouble. As Farview correctly pointed out, the type of connector has nothing to do with the type of signal that is being carried.-Richie

 

[InOverMyHead]

Yes

Most other companies have blocking components internally for just that purpose.



Groove Tubes Technical Engineering

 

[InOverMyHead]

Thanks for the Answer !

Guess I spoke too soon, but thanks anyway

 

[notCardio]

Well, all I can say is

I've done it, and it wasn't a problem in the least.

But not with phantom power turned on!

 

[InOverMyHead]

I did too, but was "afraid of the Phantom" I must say GT came through pretty quickly with the Answer I emailed them just after this first post